Departing Deal fans’ favourite Connor Coyne has reflected on the special ending to his time with the club.

Striker Coyne and defender Liam Hark are among those set to move on from the 2023/24 Southern Counties East Premier Division champions this summer as Deal prepare for Isthmian League football.

One of their all-time leading scorers, Coyne started Deal’s final game this campaign - a 3-0 home win against Stansfeld last month - as captain in a memorable farewell after almost a decade with the Charles Sports Ground outfit.

“That was really nice of Deal,” said the 31-year-old.

“Obviously, I hadn’t been playing that much but, for them to give me a special ending like that, making me the captain when there were about 1,600 people there, that was really nice. I got my family there.

“It would have been nice to get a goal - I was close - but it was still nice enough.

“Everyone made me feel really special that day and it was a nice goodbye.”

Coyne hadn’t played as much as he would have liked in recent years for Steve King’s side but opted to stick around due to the affiliation he has with the club - a decision vindicated by a title medal.

He said: “The previous season or two, I hadn’t really played as much as I would have liked to.

“But I just love the club. Where I had been there for so long, I felt like part of the furniture.

“I always enjoyed being around the lads and always got on with Kingy, so I just loved being around.

“Obviously, helping with the odd goal here and there was handy!”

The introduction in the 2023/24 season of youngsters Jamie Kennedy and fellow forward Wes Hennessey, joining the likes of Aaron Millbank, Rory Smith and brothers Tom and Ben Chapman, meant competition for places in forward areas simply became too fierce.

“Jamie was absolutely unbelievable,” he noted. “I can’t believe how well he has done - and I certainly cannot believe how old he is when people told me!

“He’s built like an absolute brick wall. He was unbelievable and is going to be some player.

“Wes is another one who I couldn’t believe how young he was.

“Fair play to them. They have come in and taken over from me.

“I’ve had my time, I’ve really enjoyed it, and it was just the right time to go.”

In a bid for regular first-team football, Coyne and Hark - his cousin - joined Hawkinge on dual registration from the Hoops.

That presented Coyne with the chance to reunite with former youth-team coach Michael Sheridan, albeit Sheridan has left the Kent County League Premier Division runners-up.

Coyne said: “I went there and scored a few goals, which was nice.

“The manager, Michael Sheridan, has now left. He was my youth coach at Dover and Folkestone. He’s someone I have got on with for years.

“We have kept in touch and he kept on asking me to go there.

“When I went into the changing room, I was surprised at the number of lads that I actually knew, as well, which was quite nice. It wasn’t a case of going into a changing room and not knowing anyone.

“The fact that Harky signed-on helped. Me and Harky have been together at Deal for about nine years. He’s my cousin.

“It was quite nice to do the journey with him.”

Unusually for modern-day football, Coyne only worked with three bosses with Deal.

He started out with then-head coach Paul Murray - the dad of midfielder Macauley Murray - and worked with Derek Hares, as well as King.

Coyne said: “When I first started at Deal, it was Muzza - Macca Murray’s dad - and then Del sort of took over with Kingy.

“Kingy has been there for pretty much the whole time that I’ve been there. Luckily, I get on with him.”

Deal have also had two memorable FA Vase runs - to the Quarter-Final last term and the last-16 in 2019/20 - as well as a run to the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in 2015 and their title win.

“We had a half-decent FA Cup run a few years ago,” recalled Coyne, who moved past the 100-goal mark in February 2022.

“That was one of the first years that I was there.

“We ended up playing St Albans away, which was a decent away-day.

“Their fans clapped us off the pitch and into the bar. That was a decent memory.

“Then, we’ve had a couple of FA Vase runs that I will never forget, as well.”

Coyne still thinks he could do a job for a Southern Counties East Premier Division team. For now, though, he’s not thinking about his future playing plans too much.

“I reckon I have still got a year or two in me at that level,” the electrician explained. “But we will just see what happens.

“I’m not going to go chasing anyone or chasing any clubs.

“I will just see if I get any offers and take it from there.”

Adam Molloy, Kane Smith, Alex Green, Alfie Foster, Ife Oni, Joe Reeves, Alex Smith, Ben Chapman, Jack Penny, Billy Munday, Macaulay Murray, Tom Chapman, Jamie Kennedy, Ashley Miller, Wes Hennessey, Rory Smith, Aaron Millbank, Henry Newcombe, Jack Hanson and Riley Alford have committed to stay with Deal.